12 replies to this topic

[DEERSLAM]

Well got back last night from my much anticipated bear hunt in the YB's. We'll start off my saying that I went in very confident as my "honey hole" has been very productive over the last 10 plus years. It has been so good that I have guaranteed friends that with some hard work I could get them a bear. Last year was the first time that we came out with out a bear but I did put my bud on a 400lb blonde phase bear that he missed with his bow at 31yds. We saw 9 bear on that 3 day hunt and my buddy did go back 2 weeks later with a friend and got a good chocolate phase bear. It was the 7th bear they saw that day. I've hunted this area in the past and have seen as many as 16 bear on a 4 day hunt. Well by now you all can probably see where I'm going with this...I hunted for 4 days and didn't see or even jump a dang bear. I'd like to say "oh well that's hunting" but I'm really shocked with this turn around. I did see a ton of bear sign but very little was fresh. I found one spot where, I kid you not, in a 10yd by 10yd area I stopped counting a 20 piles of bear scat. There looked to be very little as far as a Manzanita berry crop this year as out of about 60-70 piles of scat maybe half a dozen had berries in them. Looked like the bear were feeding heavily on acorns and grasses. So I hunted the Oaks and sat a pond where in the past the bears have come to drink and feed on the green grass. There was very little chance at being very quite still hunting as things were bone dry. I'm not sure if it was the drought, lack of normal food sources, the......or a combo of all of the above. It sure wasn't hunting pressure because as usual I never saw another person or even a boot track. I did hunt my "Bear pond" differently this year. I usually pack in a light weight tree stand and hang it at the pond. This year because I went in solo and not wanting to take any chances I hunted on the ground. I used ground blind material and tried to stay as scent free as possible and sprayed everthing down with a scent eliminator.The "Bear Pond"...water level way downMy blindIt doesn't help when you've got these guys wanting to tell the world that somethings upI don't know. I'm shocked as is my Father and friends who know this spot. I'll be thinking hard about this hunt till next year as I'll be back. I won't let an off year stop me from hunting the area. On a positive note...I did see more deer and deer sign than ever in this area. Probably because of the lack of bear...huh. I did pass on a small buck on Wed. morning. I got to get away from the every day grind...campand see some beautiful country...I did hopefully save a fawn or two when I spotted this guy and called him into 20yds using my hand. About a 35lb male. Unique reddish color. Oh, and the .338win mag ain't very fur friendly. All in all it was a good trip, besides having to dodge multiple snakes every day. I got to test out some new gear. I got to go out and do one of the things I love most in this world. So I guess it was a successful hunt after all.

[Jeff]

You've got to give up your spot, Mike!!!!!!! Sounds like a good time, even though things were different this year.

[mac]

Mike, nice report! Much like you, we didn't nearly see as many bear as we do at our spot...125lbs'er and a couple about 250lbs+ - not what I was looking for - guess we get spoiled once we get one with nice fur/hide and size.

[Rimrock]

Mike, even without a bear you had a successful trip. Thanks for posting.

[D-Man]

Mike, At least you were out hunting for multiple days. Makes me want the deer season to be here even quicker. Range tomorrow!Darren

[ShooterJohn]

Great report Mike and very nice pictures. Not sure what happened to all of the bear unless the caught they Red Eye to Tahoe to vacation with the tourists and rip open a few refrigerators. It looks like a good spot on that pond and if you've had good success in the past maybe they've just moved on for now.

[Braz]

Nice report Mike. That is beautiful country up there. Too bad you didn't get a bear, but it has been so dry and like you say, their feed is sparce, they probably moved down. Nice going on the dog though.

[Frank]

G R E A T story and hunt, Mike... I don't check the big game threads much since I no longer hunt them, but will have to check them now on. LOLIt's always shocking when a historically consistent honeyhole does not produce. Hard to say what happened & they could actually still be in the area, but just missed them somehow. Not having that tree stand may have been semi detrimental too, but who knows, eh? M A N Y years ago, I hunted a location somewhat north of your area (if I guessed your area correctly), called the marble mtn's wilderness. Anyway, the several times we visited it, I cannot recall a time when we did not run into black bears. I considered hunting bears there, but never got around to it. Probably due to the long distance from my house?!Anyway, you did great & Thanks Much for sharing Frank

[Shoot-it]

I thought you were heading toward a Friend took a Friend took a Friend when you got there you found 20 people at your spot LOL. Those are some nice pictures is that pond fed by a spring ? That area looks like all the places I have seen in d-6 dry. good luck next time out

[DEERSLAM]

No spring, just fills up in the winter and spring from rain. Here's what it typically looks like most years.

[ShooterJohn]

Great spot.

[Shoot-it]

How did you find that pond its cool. What kind of tracks are those by the edge?

[DEERSLAM]

Those are all bear tracks and lots of em. Just not this year.I found that pond by pure luck in the middle of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness. I do not believe another person has set foot there other than me or someone I've taken there. I've never seen a boot track near there in 10+ years.